biba
10-31-2007, 04:49 PM
Best ever? Duncan's fourth ring says so
By JAN HUBBARD
Star-Telegram Staff Writer Posted on Wed, Oct. 31, 2007
http://www.star-telegram.com/287/story/286543.html
SAN ANTONIO -- If championships are the measure of excellence, then the 18,797 fans who watched the Spurs open the season with a 106-97 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers Tuesday night at the AT&T Center witnessed a significant moment in basketball history.
A little background first:
Bill Russell was the resident superstar on 11 Celtics championship teams.
Michael Jordan led the Bulls to six titles.
On Tuesday night, Tim Duncan got his fourth ring.
If championships are the measure of greatness, then it is apparent that Russell is the greatest center in history and Jordan is the greatest guard.
Last night, the other position became official:
Tim Duncan is the greatest forward to ever play in the National Basketball Association.
"That's a big statement," said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. "I think it gets down to him and Larry Bird. They are different types of forwards, but they both dominated games. I'm prejudiced, obviously, but I don't know if I can say Tim is better than Bird. It's pretty close."
Again, however, the criteria are championships.
Some would argue that Bird faced more difficult competition, playing during the same era when Magic Johnson, a guard, led the Lakers to five titles.
But besides winning one more title than Bird, Duncan overcame an obstacle that had been negotiated by only one man before him.
San Antonio Express-News columnist Buck Harvey was the first to write that only two superstar players won a title, watched all 11 teammates leave, and then went on to win another title with an entirely new group.
Bill Russell and Tim Duncan.
Jordan had Scottie Pippen. Magic had Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Bird had Kevin McHale and Robert Parish. Even in the early days of the NBA, George Mikan had Hall of Fame forward Jim Pollard as a teammate on five championship teams.
Some players like Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain and Shaquille O'Neal have won titles with more than one franchise and obviously had different sets of teammates. Role players like Robert Horry have been with several franchises and contributed to titles.
But only Duncan and Russell have carried two different groups of teammates to titles for the same franchise.
"It kind of makes it more fun," Duncan said. "It's a new challenge. It's a new group of faces that haven't had that experience before. That keeps it new and fresh, not that it needs to be new and fresh, but it keeps it new and fresh and it's easy to be motivated that way."
Brent Barry, Duncan's teammate, comes from a basketball family and has been around the NBA all his life. He said one of Duncan's great attributes, similar to Magic's, is his selflessness.
"Tim really is a throwback to Bill Russell and those type of players who didn't concern themselves with individual accolades," Barry said. "In some cases, he steps up, and in the case of last year, he steps aside."
That's what Duncan did in the 4-0 sweep of Cleveland in the 2007 Finals when he deferred to Tony Parker, who averaged 24.5 points, shot 57 percent and won the Most Valuable Player award. Duncan had been the MVP of the Spurs' first three championships.
Duncan's dedication to winning can be measured in his latest contract. He has agreed to a two-year, $40 million contract extension, but under terms of the collective bargaining agreement, he could have had a maximum contract of $51 million.
He took less, however, because it means that in 2010, the first year of the extension, the Spurs will have more flexibility in the free-agent market. And guess who becomes available in 2010? LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.
Duncan has established his legacy. No forward has ever been better. And he has the rings to prove it.
Jan Hubbard, 817-390-7760
[email protected]
- Duncan228 are you sleeping or didn't I see this thread ? - :spin
By JAN HUBBARD
Star-Telegram Staff Writer Posted on Wed, Oct. 31, 2007
http://www.star-telegram.com/287/story/286543.html
SAN ANTONIO -- If championships are the measure of excellence, then the 18,797 fans who watched the Spurs open the season with a 106-97 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers Tuesday night at the AT&T Center witnessed a significant moment in basketball history.
A little background first:
Bill Russell was the resident superstar on 11 Celtics championship teams.
Michael Jordan led the Bulls to six titles.
On Tuesday night, Tim Duncan got his fourth ring.
If championships are the measure of greatness, then it is apparent that Russell is the greatest center in history and Jordan is the greatest guard.
Last night, the other position became official:
Tim Duncan is the greatest forward to ever play in the National Basketball Association.
"That's a big statement," said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. "I think it gets down to him and Larry Bird. They are different types of forwards, but they both dominated games. I'm prejudiced, obviously, but I don't know if I can say Tim is better than Bird. It's pretty close."
Again, however, the criteria are championships.
Some would argue that Bird faced more difficult competition, playing during the same era when Magic Johnson, a guard, led the Lakers to five titles.
But besides winning one more title than Bird, Duncan overcame an obstacle that had been negotiated by only one man before him.
San Antonio Express-News columnist Buck Harvey was the first to write that only two superstar players won a title, watched all 11 teammates leave, and then went on to win another title with an entirely new group.
Bill Russell and Tim Duncan.
Jordan had Scottie Pippen. Magic had Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Bird had Kevin McHale and Robert Parish. Even in the early days of the NBA, George Mikan had Hall of Fame forward Jim Pollard as a teammate on five championship teams.
Some players like Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain and Shaquille O'Neal have won titles with more than one franchise and obviously had different sets of teammates. Role players like Robert Horry have been with several franchises and contributed to titles.
But only Duncan and Russell have carried two different groups of teammates to titles for the same franchise.
"It kind of makes it more fun," Duncan said. "It's a new challenge. It's a new group of faces that haven't had that experience before. That keeps it new and fresh, not that it needs to be new and fresh, but it keeps it new and fresh and it's easy to be motivated that way."
Brent Barry, Duncan's teammate, comes from a basketball family and has been around the NBA all his life. He said one of Duncan's great attributes, similar to Magic's, is his selflessness.
"Tim really is a throwback to Bill Russell and those type of players who didn't concern themselves with individual accolades," Barry said. "In some cases, he steps up, and in the case of last year, he steps aside."
That's what Duncan did in the 4-0 sweep of Cleveland in the 2007 Finals when he deferred to Tony Parker, who averaged 24.5 points, shot 57 percent and won the Most Valuable Player award. Duncan had been the MVP of the Spurs' first three championships.
Duncan's dedication to winning can be measured in his latest contract. He has agreed to a two-year, $40 million contract extension, but under terms of the collective bargaining agreement, he could have had a maximum contract of $51 million.
He took less, however, because it means that in 2010, the first year of the extension, the Spurs will have more flexibility in the free-agent market. And guess who becomes available in 2010? LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.
Duncan has established his legacy. No forward has ever been better. And he has the rings to prove it.
Jan Hubbard, 817-390-7760
[email protected]
- Duncan228 are you sleeping or didn't I see this thread ? - :spin